


Just Friends

by Blu3Wind



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Comedy, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, High School, Romance, Romantic Comedy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-21
Updated: 2020-04-01
Packaged: 2021-02-28 20:41:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,687
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23243443
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blu3Wind/pseuds/Blu3Wind
Summary: Someone who shone as bright as Hinata wouldn’t like a girl as dull as her. That was why Yachi had decided to shut her feelings and hope it will disappear eventually.
Relationships: Hinata Shouyou & Yachi Hitoka, Hinata Shouyou/Yachi Hitoka
Comments: 54
Kudos: 263





	1. Part 1

“Hitoka-chan, what are you drawing?”

Yachi did not let the question distract her from her zone, continuing to translate the design from her head unto paper. 

“A poster for the volleyball team,” she answered, taking a flaming orange colored pencil to color in the hair.

“Hooo,” her friend cooed, moving to stand beside her. “You say it’s for the volleyball team, but why do you always keep drawing the orange haired guy?”

At that, Yachi stopped.

“B-Because…” She stammered, clutching the orange pencil against her chest for dear life. Her lips froze against her will, as did her brain. 

Why  _ did _ she keep drawing Hinata? This was already the fifth poster she was designing for the volleyball club, but she had always chosen Hinata as the main model. Well, she couldn’t have drawn Kageyama since a setter’s pose wasn’t as dynamic as a spiker. But their team had plenty of other spikers besides Hinata whose form were just as aesthetic as his.

“H-He was the only one available to model,” Yachi finally said, which was somewhat of a lie. In fact, he had always been her first option. She never asked the other members to model for her.

Was it because she didn’t want to burden them? Because she felt most at ease with Hinata? Or because she hadn’t been able to get Hinata’s image out of her head? Every time he jumped, it was as if he had grown a pair of wings. He was flying. Imagining that sight still made her heart race as if it were the first time seeing it all over again.

“Really?” Her friend grinned. “For a second I thought it was because you had a crush on him.”

“W-what?” Yachi gulped, dropping the pencil. No way. Couldn’t be. They were friends. Just friends. They’d never be anything more than that. 

“I mean, your notebook is filled with his doodles,” her friend continued pointing out, and Yachi yelped.

She wanted to deny it, but she couldn’t. Since the poster design had been on her mind, it was only natural to draw Hinata over and over again, right? She needed to get him right… even if she did have a photo reference of him.

“Oh, speaking of your prince charming, there he is,” her friend sang, giggling to herself as she deliberately left Yachi’s table, giving the two some alone time as Hinata approached.

“I-I-It’s not like that!” Yachi called out, but her friend pretended not to hear.

“What is?” Hinata asked, cocking his head sideways, smiling at her with the bliss of obliviousness. He was already taking an empty chair to sit by her table, something that had become somewhat of a ritual since their first year.

“N-Nothing.”

Hinata failed to notice the weird stutter in her answer, or maybe he was used to it. He flashed her another smile and pointed at her notebook. “Can I copy your English notes again? The teacher was speaking too fast and I didn’t have time to write everything.”

“Sure.” 

She realized a few seconds too late that the notebook he looked into was the very same one filled with numerous doodles of him, one which he was sure to realize because she had colored them all orange. This was a disaster. What if he’d be disgusted or think of her as a stalker? What if he no longer wanted to be friends? What if she was kicked from the club manager position?

“Ooooh! Is that me?” Hinata asked instead, eyes sparkling in delight. He gazed at her notebook with outstretched arms, eagerly flipping the page to find more drawings. “Wahhh, Yachi-san, these are all so good! You always draw me so well!”

“E-Eh? Really?” She couldn’t help but blush at the compliment. How could she possibly not draw him well when she had been glancing too much in his direction over the past year? When his spikes and high jumps were images imprinted in her mind? When she sometimes thought about the way he smiled at her before falling asleep at night?

Maybe her friend was right. Maybe Yachi had a crush on Hinata. But she knew the feeling wasn’t mutual.

Hinata always blushed and stuttered when he was in front of Kiyoko, something Yachi understood too well since Kiyoko had that effect on everyone, including her. But sometimes he’d blush when the manager of another team, who was prettier and taller than Yachi was, offered him a second plate of dinner. Hinata never showed such reactions to her. He had grabbed her hand during their first week of meeting, pulled her all the way to the train station, and never let the physical touch affect him in any amorous way.

She looked at Hinata taking out his phone, trying to take some good snapshots of her doodle, making her smile all over again.

Yachi had known. She had known for quite some time that she liked him as more than just a friend. But someone who shone as bright as Hinata wouldn’t like a girl as dull as her. That was why she had decided to shut her feelings and hope it will disappear eventually.

***

Tomorrow, the Karasuno volleyball club was invited to have a practice match with Nekoma and Fukurodani Academy. The highlight was that the graduated third years were coming back to join them, but not Kiyoko who had been too busy. Despite it being a practice match, Yachi knew better than anyone that these boys would treat it as serious as a real match.

“You two never change.” She giggled to herself when she spotted Hinata and Kageyama at the gym, prepared to do some extra tosses after club hours. “You know you’ll need a lot of rest, right?”

A year ago, Yachi wouldn’t have been able to deliver that line without stuttering. But as they had grown closer over time, she had become more comfortable around them. A part of her liked it when the two listened, which seldomly happened.

“We’ll rest after hitting a few tosses, right Kageyama?” Hinaya asked, unable to contain his excitement.

Though Kageyama only nodded, the same determined fire blazed in his eyes.

Yachi placed her bag to the side of the gym and easily took her position by the cart of volleyballs. It had always been her duty to toss the ball to Kageyama. Though her throw was terrible, the setter was somehow always able to turn it into a proper toss for Hinata to spike. Their determination was contagious, and in no time, Yachi was jumping up and down in full cheerleader mode every time their combo worked.

“That was awesome!” She would yell, carrying the same fascination as all the other times she had seen it. She never grew bored of them.

“Yeah. Thanks, Yachi-san,” Hinata said, but then his eyes widened and his cheeks flushed red. He immediately took off his jacket and quickly strode over to her. “You… Um… Probably shouldn’t jump too much.”

“Huh?” Yachi did not understand until Hinata had tied his jacket around her waist, putting more weight on her skirt, covering more skin. At once she understood, and Yachi’s entire face flustered. Had she accidentally flashed them while jumping? “S-S-Sorry.”

“I-It’s okay. We should probably go back anyway,” Hinata said, unable to look her in the eye, scratching the back of his head. “Kageyama, I’ll race you to see who can clean up faster.”

“You’re on.”

And as the two boys raced for no apparent reason as usual, Yachi couldn’t help but clutch a hand against her chest. She was not imagining it, was she? Hinata actually blushed… because of her. Though it was an embarrassing incident, a part of her liked being able to draw out that reaction from him, like she was finally on par with Kiyoko and the other managers.

“Yachi-san, I’ll take you home,” Hinata said after they finished locking up the gym and Kageyama had gone ahead.

“Eh, it’s okay. You should go home and rest.”

“It’s dangerous for you to go home alone,” Hinata said. “I’ll take care of you. You wouldn’t have stayed this late if it weren’t for us anyway.”

Yachi pressed her lips on a smile, trying not to show her elation at those words. She curtly nodded and was prepared to walk next to Hinata and his bike as usual when something else changed.

“Get on,” he said, smiling in such a way that made the invitation very difficult to decline.

“W-W-What?”

“Don’t worry. I won’t let you fall. And if you’re afraid, you can just hold on to me real tight!” Hinata said, mistaking her nervousness for fear of injury. He got on his seat and patted the space behind it.

But Yachi’s greatest fear wasn’t to fall off the bike, she feared falling for him even deeper. 

Cautiously, she took the seat behind him, contemplating where to put her hands. In any shoujo manga, this was supposed to be a crucial development to the main heroine’s love life. But Yachi was a townsperson B, so she had no right to worry about such things.

“I-I’m gonna go real fast, so hold on,” Hinata said, casually grabbing her hands to put it around his waist, making her yelp in surprise.

He didn’t look back once, not even while he began to pedal. It was up to Yachi to tighten her grip if she didn’t want to fall. And so she did. She leaned closer against his back, careful not to let her cheek touch him, even though a part of her was tempted to. She was close enough to catch his scent, a bit of sweat along with his usual deodorant. A scent that reminded her of all the times they sat closely together in the gym, just talking and laughing at everything and nothing in particular, like the friends they were.

Still, she let herself imagine a reverie of what could’ve happened if Hinata did like her back. But he didn’t. So she learned to be content with these small things, hoping her heart would survive the entire ride home without exploding.

Hopefully they’d reach soon, cause Hinata was quiet the entire ride and seemed tired. Even his cheeks were red. 

_ Poor boy _ , Yachi thought.  _ He must be cold _ .

***

Yachi yawned for the nth time that morning, drowsily doing a headcount of all the members as they entered the bus. Then she followed inside and sat on the empty seat behind coach Ukai. In the past she would’ve shared the seat with Kiyoko, but things had changed after the third years graduated. Now Yachi was all alone. The realization made her miss her seniors even more.

“Aahh, I didn’t get enough sleep last night,” Hinata suddenly said, plopping down on the space beside her.

“Eh?” This came as a surprise. Yachi immediately turned to peek at the back of the bus, realizing that the seat next to Kageyama wasn’t occupied. Usually those two would sit together. What caused this change?

“D-Did you fight with Kageyama?” She asked, completely panicked. She hated seeing the two at a dispute, especially before a match. 

“No, why?”

“You usually sit together.”

“Oh… I… I wanted to sit with you,” Hinata said, unusually bashful for his usual outspoken nature.

Yachi wanted to cry at Hinata’s kind gesture. He must’ve known she was feeling nostalgic and was missing Kiyoko, choosing not to let her face the loneliness on her own.

“You’re such a nice person, Hinata!” She whimpered, drying the invisible tears from her eyes. She took a proper seat facing the front and nodded to herself. She could get through the loneliness now.

Hinata laughed, settling himself more comfortably beside her. “Did  _ you _ get enough sleep?” 

“No. I kept worrying about missing the bus or forgetting to bring the first aid kit, so in the end I couldn’t sleep,” she said, always concerned over the little things.

Hinata grinned, giving her a light playful jerk against her arm. “You care too much for us. You should get some sleep now.”

“Right, I will!” 

And now that Hinata was with her, her fear and concern all disappeared at once. Yachi had never felt safer elsewhere. As minutes went by, she easily dozed off, only to wake up again when her head bumped against the window at the side.

Yachi was about to shift her position when in the midst of her sleepiness and half consciousness, she felt Hinata’s warm hands cupping the side of her cheek, gently guiding her head to fall against his chest instead. He didn’t let go immediately, as if wanting to shield her head from bumping against the window again. And then, after a moment of contemplation, his warmth left her.

The rapid beating in Yachi’s chest completely woke her up, very aware of what had just happened. It was probably another kind gesture, one which filled her with uncontrollable heat. How could she put her feelings aside when he gave her more reasons to fall for him?

So Yachi shut her eyes by force, pretending she had never woken up. Pretending that she couldn’t hear her own heart drumming in her ear. What a fast paced rhythm it was, like someone running at full speed to receive the enemy’s serve. 

She must’ve been extremely nervous—too nervous to realize that the rapid heartbeat might not have been her own.

***

In the end, Yachi could not get any sleep. It was one thing trying to shut her mind while leaning against Hinata, but it was a completely different thing when his head plopped against hers.

The boy was fast asleep, letting his hand freely sprawl over her knee. Yachi could definitely not sleep, too conscious of his touch. Would it be okay to let his hand stay there? But Hinata would probably be embarrassed if he found out about it later. So maybe, maybe Yachi was doing him a favor if she removed it, right?

Her fingers twitched in anticipation as she lightly brushed over his. It was as warm as the touch against her cheek, and a part of her furtively wished she could hold him a bit longer. Despite his short nature, Hinata’s hands were still bigger than hers, and she was sure they would fit like perfect puzzle pieces. See, the top of her index finger couldn’t quite reach the top of his.

“We’re here!” Nishinoya and Tanaka both yelled out loud as the bus came to a halt.

The sound made Yachi flinch in her chair, even more so when she felt Hinata clutching her hand in response to the same noise. He drowsily rubbed his eyes, trying to process his surrounding when he found Yachi’s face all stiff and red beside him. Then he realized he was holding her hand and yelped.

“I-I’m sorry! I didn’t realize it!” He said, quickly letting go.

“No, it’s okay! It was my fault,” Yachi replied, even more panicked. If there was more space in the bus, she would’ve knelt down in apology.

“Did I sleep on you? I must be heavy. Sorry if I drooled!” Hinata added on to the panic.

“N-No, I didn’t mind at all. But uh, I should probably get down first to uh, prepare some things,” Yachi said, quickly brushing past Hinata to get out of the bus. She couldn’t bear another second around him when her heart was about to explode. She could’ve died.

As Yachi ran out, she never looked back. She didn’t see the way Hinata stared at his hand, the very same one that had been holding hers. He tucked his lips, two rosy blushes blooming on his cheeks.

***

“Oya, you’re even smaller than I remember.”

Yachi did not expect she’d be towered by some of the tallest and most intimidating looking guys as soon as she stepped into the gym, and flinched. She was supposed to place the first aid kit and organize the towels, but now she was about to be kidnapped by these two. 

“You’re really tiny, Yacchan,” Bakuto said, putting a hand on her head to measure her height. She barely even reached his shoulder. 

“Can you even carry all these bags?” Kuroo asked, pointing to the stuff she was holding. Due to his intimidating nature and always there smirk, it looked like he was taunting her.

“Y-Yes! Sorry!” Yachi replied, not knowing what to do when these guys were about to mug her. They must think she was an easy prey since she was so small and carried too many things to run away.

“You look pale,” Bakuto commented, drawing his face closer in her line of vision.

“Do you need to sit down?” Kuroo loomed closer over her.

Yachi was trembling at this point. She would never get used to this situation. And now, Kiyoko wouldn’t be here to protect her. This was how she was going to die. She was so sure of it, until someone suddenly grabbed her by her wrist and easily pulled her away from the two captains.

“What are you doing to our Yachi-san?” Hinata asked, quickly shielding her behind him.

_ How heroic _ , Yachi thought. Hinata was much shorter than these two walls, but he never let himself be intimidated. He stood tall, protecting her like she was a helpless maiden, which was also new. A year ago, he cared more for the barbeque meat than her near-fainting episode. But now, here he was, once again aware that she needed someone.

“Hey, hey, hey, my disciple!” Bakuto greeted cheerfully. But his swaying movements made Yachi clutch Hinata’s shirt tighter, completely terrified.

“You should pay more attention. Your girlfriend’s about to faint,” Kuroo said, again with that taunting smirk. Was he even taunting?

“You two probably scared her,” Hinata said.

It came to Yachi’s attention that she was mistaken for Hinata’s girlfriend, something that made her squeal on the inside. And Hinata had not denied it. The slightly delusional part of her wanted to think that maybe, he did not mind it. Or maybe he didn’t hear it. Or maybe he was too eager to play volleyball to process those words.

“Yachi-chan, toss some balls for us later, okay?” Kuroo asked as if they had suddenly been long time friends.

“Ah…. S-Sure.”

Yachi wasn’t sure what happened. She stole a glance at Hinata, wondering why he had the same sulking face as those times when Kageyama beat him at something. Normally he’d radiate stars and be amazed by all the other players. Something was definitely wrong with him.

“Hinata, are you not feeling well?” Yachi worriedly asked, placing the palm of her hand against his forehead to measure his temperature. He felt normal, even though his face was turning redder than usual.

“I-I’m fine,” Hinata stuttered, laughing awkwardly to get rid of his sulking. Then he stopped, and the glint in his eyes turned grim. “But Yachi-san, you shouldn’t help them.”

“Eh? Why?”

“Because they have their own manager,” Hinata answered, bashfully looking away from her. “And I don’t like seeing you with other guys.”

Yachi blinked, her heart thudding.

“S-Since you’re Karasuno’s manager, you know! So it makes more sense if you continued helping me, right? Me and Kageyama, I mean. Or any of us.” Hinata corrected himself, laughing even louder than before.

“Oh, okay. You can count on me.” She flashed him a smile. It was secretly her favorite pastime anyway since she’d get to spend more time with Hinata, even if he were more focused on his spikes than on her. She should’ve known not to think too much of his words.

“Right. So, let me help you carry those.” Hinata quickly switched the topic as he took the heavy bag from her shoulder. 

“I-It’s alright. You need to start stretching,” Yachi wanted to take it back, but Hinata was quick to hold her wrist, stopping her attempts. She gulped, desperately hoping he wouldn’t feel her raging pulse.

“Shimizu-san isn’t here anymore, so it’s okay to depend on me with things like these,” Hinata said, grinning in a way that rivaled the sun. 

Yachi put her other hand on her chest, unable to stop it from responding to Hinata’s words. He looked every bit a dependable knight, reminding her of every single reason why she fell for him throughout the years.

“Besides, if you carry heavy things, you won’t grow taller,” Hinata teased, quickly stepping away before Yachi chased after him, but making sure he was always within her reach.

“That’s not for you to say!” She laughed, hearing his chirpy laughter mingling with hers to create a beautiful tune.

Yachi knew then, that hoping these feelings would disappear was a futile attempt. She liked Hinata, and nothing was going to change that.


	2. Part 2

“Nice kill!”

Yachi sat next to coach Ukai and Takeda sensei by the side bench, diligently keeping track of the scores and the method they had scored with. Another success from Hinata’s quick shot.

“Nice kill,” she shouted along with the others, and when she did, she noticed Hinata immediately turning his head to her. She made a gesture to support him by pumping her fist, and he grinned back.

It wasn’t her imagination, was it? But everytime Hinata played well by saving a receive or doing a really cool spike, he would always seek out her gaze among the others, as if wanting to make sure she had seen him in action. Yachi was always staring back, because she had always only been drawn to him, even if she had to pay attention to others. She offered him a smile or another one of her awestruck compliments, and that in turn seemed to fire him up. Win win for the team, and for her.

Coach Ukai and Takeda sensei seemed to make the observation too, looking at the two second years before exchanging a look with each other. Then they smiled like proud parents knowing something was up.

“You were amazing, Hinata!” Yachi immediately approached after they finished the game against Fukurodani, 25-20. She handed him a water bottle and a towel, unable to stop the bounce in her steps, completely amazed at his gameplay.

“So was your cheering. It always energizes me like  _ swoosh _ ,” he replied, dabbing the towel against his forehead. He heard the sound of shoes squeaking against the floor and looked back to see some people still playing on the court.

“Eh? Ah, I cheered along with everyone else,” Yachi said, bashfully scratching the side of her cheek. She kept her gaze to the ground, too shy to look him in the eye, when suddenly, she felt Hinata wrap an arm around her shoulder.

“Watch out!” Someone yelled.

Everything happened so fast afterwards, and Yachi didn’t realize she had let Hinata lead her a few steps forward, swinging her away from harm’s way as a volleyball was shot at the place she just stood at. 

Yachi screeched. She could’ve died.

“Sorry,” Lev shouted, but immediately got kicked by Yaku.

“Be careful, you tall half Russian giant!” Hinata yelled at his friend before turning to a trembling Yachi and softened his voice. “You alright?”

“Y-Y-Yes.” She still shivered. How pathetic would it be if ‘getting smacked by a volleyball’ was the cause of death written on her gravestone?

Hinata looked over her once to make sure she wasn’t injured and smiled. “Don’t worry. I won’t let anything happen to you, Yachi-san,” he declared, patting her head once before joining the others in preparation for their next match.

Yachi felt her heart race again. In the past, he had protected her because he was eager to get the ball at any time, any place. But now, he protected her because he wouldn’t let anything happen to her. Was it true or was she being delusional? Maybe he cared more because she was the only manager left. It probably didn’t mean anything.

“Yachi-san, can I have my drink?” Yamaguchi’s voice interrupted her from her thoughts, patiently holding his hand out.

“Ah! Sorry! I forgot!” She yelped, quickly distributing the rest of the drink to the rest of the club members who had watched the heroic save too.

***

“Yachi-chan, will you come help us?” Kuroo asked after another practice match was over. Karasuno ended up losing and were doing diving drills, as always. He towered over the smaller girl, spinning a volleyball on his finger.

Yachi gulped, remembering Hinata telling her not to agree. She really didn’t wanna do it in the first place. After seeing how Kuroo served, she feared losing both her arms.

“We don’t have a manager, and Fukurodani’s manager isn’t willing either,” Kuroo said, leaning forward so that his face was on her eye level. “Don’t make me beg here.”

“Uh… Eh…” Yachi awkwardly looked away, hoping someone would come and help, but everyone else had broken up in pairs to practice some more.

“Hooooold it!” She heard Hinata yell from the distance, suddenly appearing between them with outstretched arms, shielding Yachi once again. “If you wanna play, I’ll take you on!”

“That’s no fun, I wanted a cute girl to throw some balls at me,” Kuroo taunted, seeing Hinata grit his teeth in annoyance. It wasn’t hard to figure out what was happening over here, so he decided to tease some more. “Unless you wanna bet Yachi-chan as the prize?”

“What?” Yachi asked, her mind instantly imagining herself wearing a shiny trophy costume. What had she gotten herself into?

“Lets play two on two. If we win, Yachi-chan will become our manager for the entire day tomorrow,” Kuroo said.

Yachi was silently uttering a prayer. If Hinata was paired with Kageyama, they’d have a higher chance at winning. She believed in Hinata. She knew he could win this.

Hinata continued grinding his teeth together as he grabbed Yachi by the wrist and answered with a firm “no.”

“No?” Kuroo raised an eyebrow, amused but not surprised.

“Yachi-san is not some prize you can claim. As if I’ll let you take her in the first place. I’m not gonna play you anymore,” Hinata mumbled, guiding Yachi away from the court, making a statement that left everyone listening speechless.

Even Yachi couldn’t believe her ears. This was still the same Hinata, right? The volleyball mania who would never turn down a challenge? The little monster who was eager to defeat someone? To have him walk away from a battle was very… strange.

“Why didn’t you practice with Kuroo-san?” She finally asked, watching Hinata let go of her wrist. Her heart deflated a little, wishing he could hold onto her a bit longer.

“Cause someone’s gotta look out over you. Others might ask you for help again,” Hinata said, squinting his eyes to scan the surrounding for any other suspicious members. What he spotted was everyone else immediately averting their eyes away, as if they hadn’t been watching him and Yachi for some time.

Yachi couldn’t help but laugh. “I’m actually not as bad as I was last time. Kiyoko-san taught me some ball fending techniques too. I can protect myself now!”

“Really?” Hinata asked in amusement. He picked up a nearby volleyball and lightly threw it at her. “Show me.”

So Yachi did. Kiyoko had taught her to use the side of her arm to cast the ball away. It was going to hurt less than using ten fingers, which she imagined could twist backwards if she wasn’t strong enough for it. 

“Whoaaa, you’re actually pretty good!” Hinata said, tossing another ball at her which she sloppily, but successfully, managed to slam away. “Maybe you have it in you to join the girl’s volleyball team. Ah! But that would mean you can’t be our manager. Never mind, I don’t want that.”

Yachi let her lips curl into a soft smile, touched by Hinata’s blunt honesty. Never in her life had she felt so needed, but by being the club’s manager it finally felt like she amounted to something. It was all thanks to Kiyoko and this boy whom she had fallen in love with. 

“I like being the manager,” Yachi declared. “I’m not going anywhere.”

And that seemed to satisfy Hinata who had a new surge of energy rushing through him. “Alright! In exchange for your loyalty, I could teach you a few basic tricks.”

“You’d do that?”

“Anything for you,” he declared proudly. Plus, being the teacher for once actually gave him a higher sense of accomplishment. So he quickly got into the proper position. “This is the basic position to receive an incoming ball.”

“Like this?” Yachi tried to imitate his demonstration. She had seen it numerous times in their play, but having to do it now was actually harder than it looked.

Hinata glanced at her once and chuckled. “You need to bend a bit more to put more weight on both feet. Then straighten your upper body and your arms.”

What Yachi did not expect was that he planned on personally correcting her, physically guiding her as he continued his instructions. She felt the small tingle in her heart when his hand patted her knees, telling her to bend a bit lower. She almost shuddered in the most delightful way when his hand brushed a downward stroke over her back, straightening her. But her heart nearly burst when Hinata somehow thought it’d be a good idea to stand behind her, wrapping his arms around hers to direct it at the right angle. She heard him mutter something else, all of which translated to the soft graze of warm breath against her neck.

Yachi could not handle this. It was too much of Hinata. Her heart was overjoyed and no longer able to function. So as she delighted in every single one of Hinata’s touches, Yachi fainted.

***

By the time Yachi regained her consciousness, she was surprised to feel a soft pillow underneath her cheek as Hinata’s distinct smell greeted her at once. Ah, was this a beautiful dream?

“You’re awake,” Hinata then spoke, and Yachi jolted away, realizing she had been sleeping against him again. She had mistaken him for a pillow.

“W-What happened?”

“You passed out,” Hinata answered, the usual cheeriness gone from his voice. “Suga-san told me it was because of me and that I should stick with you until you woke up. But somehow, he was grinning the entire time.”

“Oh.” Yachi tried to process his words and gasped. “Have I been sleeping against you the entire time? Were you unable to do anything because of me?”

“No, no! It’s alright, Yachi-san!” Hinata quickly held her in place, knowing she was about to dramatically bow in apology again. He stared at the floor and continued fiddling with the water bottle in his hand. “I… quite like it. Being with you like this, I mean.”

Yachi blinked, staring at him dumbfounded, wondering if it could have a different meaning to it. But no matter what, she could only take it in one way. It made her heart thud faster.

“And I’m sorry if I went too far earlier. I didn’t realize what I was doing when I… held you like that,” Hinata continued awkwardly.

Yachi wasn’t imagining it. Being so close to Hinata, she could see the color of his cheeks reddening. So Yachi pressed her lips on a shy smile, looking away from him too.

“I… I didn’t really mind it,” she quietly confessed, unable to stop her face from blushing when Hinata turned to her in surprise. “I quite liked it too.”

“Huh,” he began, gulping down his nervousness as he tried stopped himself from smiling too much. “Maybe… Maybe we should do it again then.”

“Maybe.”

“Alright.”

Yachi told her heart to quiet down when she felt Hinata’s fingers bashfully seeking out hers. It started as a soft brush against the tip of her fingers, a touch that sent electric current throughout her entire body. But when he became more bold and gently hooked their fingers together, occasionally rubbing the side of her hand with his thumb, that was when Yachi completely lost it. She may have smiled too much, may have even giggled, but even so, Hinata didn’t let go.

And neither did she.

***

Done.

Yachi had this creative idea to draw her fellow second years as chibis and make keychains out of it. Initially she wanted to only do Hinata’s, but that would’ve been too suspicious. And others might kick her out from the team due to her biased favoritism. So she made one for Kageyama, Yamaguchi, and Tsuki too.

“A present for you,” she said, presenting the first keychain to Hinata.

“Whoaaaaaa!” Hinata’s voice and volume overpowered Yamaguchi’s who was just as amazed. “This is so cool!”

“I hope you like it,” Yachi said, momentarily mesmerized when she saw Hinata eagerly attaching the keychain to his sports bag. She’d like to think he treasured it because it was a gift from her.

“Wah, I’m so jealous of you, Hinata. I wished I got one too,” Yamaguchi said, poking the chibi Hinata keychain.

“Oh, I got one for all of you!” Yachi remembered, quickly taking the rest from her bag.

Hinata’s eyes widened, watching her gift the rest of the guys their own keychain.

“Wah, it’s me doing the jump float serve,” Yamaguchi said, pointing at his chibi self in wonder.

“Why do I look like a king?” Kageyama asked, pouting in a way that resembled the keychain’s drawing.

“Hah, how appropriate for you,” Tsuki sneered. He then glanced at his own, surprised to see she had drawn him with a smug glare.

“It fits you, Tsuki,” Yamaguchi sang.

“Shut up, Yamaguchi.”

“Sorry, Tsuki.”

Yachi sheepishly smiled to herself, shyly kicking the floor. “I tried my best to draw you all. I hope you like it.”

“We do! Thank you!” Yamaguchi spoke on behalf of him and Tsuki.

“Yeah. Thank you,” Kageyama coolly said, also clipping the gift to his bag.

Yachi smiled, feeling elated after having done a good deed. Maybe this could help encourage the guys to play better in their future matches.

But when she glanced at Hinata again, he was pouting in annoyance. He had been awfully quiet after she showed her gifts to the others. Did he not like the present after all?

***

“Hey, Yachi-san,” Hinata began when it was just the two of them outside the gym during break time. He had asked her to accompany him getting a drink, and passing the gym, he just couldn’t resist doing a small practice.

“Hm?” She gulped down some of the strawberry juice he had bought for her. She leaned against a nearby wall, watching him balance the ball in his arms to keep it from touching the floor.

“Why did you give a keychain to the others too?”

Yachi raised an eyebrow, almost choking. Oh no, had she done something wrong? Hinata did look annoyed earlier. “Cause you’re all my friends. And I was afraid someone would kick me off the team if I didn’t give one to everyone. Should I have made one for the third and first years too?”

“Hmm, I guess not,” Hinata said.

He was being unusually quiet as he continued tossing the ball. His face was filled with utmost concentration, like those times when he was trying to read the direction of an opponent’s spike. It made Yachi nervous.

“Can I ask you something?” He asked again.

Yachi was just glad he was talking and eagerly nodded. “Yes?”

“If you could choose someone from the club to ask you out, who would it be?” 

“Eh?” Yachi nearly lost the grip of her juice, wondering whether she misheard him. Did he know about her crush? Was she being too obvious? Was he calling her out to ruthlessly reject her?

“W-Why do you want to know?” She asked, trying to drag out the delay of not having to answer.

“Just curious.” 

Hinata’s eyes were still focused on the ball, and Yachi was thankful for that. Her heart would shatter if he stared at her with some kind of annoyance or disgust. 

She took a deep breath, calming herself down. She could do this. She simply didn’t have to tell him the truth. She had to avoid making Hinata hate her. So she said a random name that popped in her mind.

“Um… Yamaguchi?”

“Hah?” Now Hinata did sound angry, losing complete focus of the volleyball as it fell on top of his head. Hinata winced, but let the ball roll away. He marched towards Yachi instead, placing one hand against the wall. “Why would you choose him? What does he have that I don’t? Why didn’t you choose me?”

Yachi could barely contain her beating heart, putting both hands against her chest. “D-Do you… Do you want me to choose you instead?”

“Yes! Cause I would’ve chosen you, Yachi-san!”

“B-But I’m the only female in the club anyway.”

Hinata shook his head. “If I had to choose someone to go out with out of every female in the world, I would still choose you!”

Yachi blinked, her entire face flustered. She expected him to retract his words or reveal it was a joke, but looking at him, he was just as red as she was. His breath staggered, losing the confidence he always carried himself with as he waited for her answer.

“I… I lied earlier,” she finally whispered, looking at anything but his face. Surely he wouldn’t hate her if he was so eager to be chosen, so she bit her lips and relaid the truth. “I would choose you too.”

“Really?” Hinata broke into a radiant smile, as if he did not just have a small outburst. He immediately took her by the hands. “That makes me so happy. Thanks, Yachi-san.”

In one instant, he was all over her, suffocating her in his overwhelming presence, and then, he was gone. She regained her ability to breathe as he went on ahead, leaving her alone at the back of the gym. 

Yachi let out a distressed shriek as she let herself fall against the floor. What had actually happened? Was that a confession? Had she indirectly confessed to him too? Did that mean that their feelings were mutual? Couldn’t be. Such luck did not exist for a townsperson B like her. 

She sighed, looking up at the sky. How was she supposed to face Hinata now?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! <3


	3. Part 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now we get to read from Hinata's POV~

What had he done?

Hinata was all pale as he squatted down at the corner of the hallway, his head buried between his hands. 

Had he actually been stupid enough to ask Yachi the question out loud? He didn’t even plan on doing it, but seeing how happy she looked giving the keychain to the other three, Hinata couldn’t help the jealousy growing within him. He really thought he’d be the only one getting it since her notebook was filled with doodles of  _ him _ . But hearing her say Yamaguchi’s name irked him to the point of lost self control.

“Argh, stupid, stupid, stupid!” Hinata scratched his own head in frustration.

“It’s about time you realized,” Tsuki’s voice interrupted, looking down at the boy from up high. Considering Hinata was squatting, he looked even more like a tall giant, something that had Tsuki smirk in victory.

“I wasn’t talking to you!” Hinata said, quickly getting up.

“It’s not like I wanted a stupid person to address me in the first place,” Tsuki continued provoking.

“Um… Calm down, guys. Let’s not argue,” Yamaguchi said.

And at his sight, Hinata bit his lips, remembering Yachi’s first answer. That same wave of annoyance reappeared, and he was so close to challenging Yamaguchi to a one on one. But the guy was innocent, so Hinata had no choice but to swallow his hurt.

“I’m going to class,” he then declared, quickly running away from the two, hoping to clear his head.

***

During practice that day, Hinata couldn’t brace himself to look at Yachi. But then he realized he would suffer even more if he  _ didn’t _ look at her. So during the smallest interval, he would always unconsciously search for her. While coach Ukai was explaining a new strategy on the white board, his eyes were more drawn to Yachi who was diligently taking notes on the side. When she tapped the end of the pen against her chin or tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, Hinata felt like his heart had been shot. Had she always been that pretty and adorable? 

“Hinata, are you listening?” Coach Ukai suddenly called him out, drawing everyone’s gaze on him, including Yachi’s.

“Y-Yes! I’m listening!” He stiffly replied, making the other boys laugh, but Yachi was quick to avert her eyes from him. 

Oh no. Was she truly disgusted because of what he had said? He needed to fix this, but how?

“Good. Now keep your eyes on the board and not on the manager,” coach Ukai said.

Hinata’s face heated up instantly while the other boys whistled at him. He thought he was being cautious enough, but apparently, the entire club had noticed his unwavering gaze towards her. Did that include her?

He needed to come up with a way to neutralize the entire thing so that they could go back to the way things were before.

***

“Yachi-san, what are you doing?” He asked after coach Ukai’s session was over. He spotted her standing on one of those ladders with a tape and scissor in her hand, a dangerous combination.

Yachi yelped in surprise, nearly losing her balance.

Hinata was quick to place his hand against her back while steadying the ladder at the same time. No matter how hard he tried to play it cool, a single touch never failed to speed up his heart.

“T-Thank you. I was taping the net again so you guys can practice a more accurate serve,” she answered.

“Ooh, let me help you,” Hinata said, holding his hand out to her. “Knowing how jumpy you are, it’d put my heart at rest if you weren’t standing on the ladder, you know.”

Yachi chuckled at this, knowing he was right. She carefully placed her hand in Hinata’s, letting him help her get off the ladder. “I’ll cut the tapes for you.”

“Sure!” Hinata climbed the ladder in her stead, maintaining the smile on his face in the hope it would suppress his feelings from showing too much. But everytime he asked her for the next tape and felt the faintest brush of her fingers, he felt his resolve crumbling. It didn’t take long before he deliberately tried to feel the touch of her hand, timing his hand to grab unto the tape a second too early, ending up holding hers instead.

“Sorry,” he’d mutter, hiding his smile from her.

“It’s alright,” she’d say, looking away from him as well.

And in that sneaky manner, they continued taping the net, letting a bashful smile slip from their lips when their fingers touched, repeating it over and over again as if it were deliberate in the first place.

“Would you look at that,” Tanaka said, elbowing Nishinoya in the ribs.

“He’s more successful than any of us ever were with Kiyoko-san,” Nishinoya remarked, proud at the sight.

“Seems he could use some help to progress from this bashful flirting,” Tanaka said, exchanging a look with his friend as they both smirked.

***

“Hinata,” Tanaka began, dimming the light of the changing room as Nishinoya lit up the small table lamp they usually used for studying, making it look like he was under interrogation.

“W-What’s going on here?” Hinata asked, deciding not to change out of his uniform in fear of what the two senpais would do.

“Confess to us. You like Yacchan, don’t you?” Nishinoya bluntly asked, grinning to himself.

“W-What gave you that idea?” Hinata stuttered, but in the brim of light, the blush on his face nearly matched the fierceness of his hair.

“The way you look at her,” Tanaka pointed out.

“The way you talk to her.”

“Or when you protect her.”

“And secretly try to have more skinship.”

“Okay, okay!” Hinata quickly stopped the two before he’d be more embarrassed by their replies. He thought he was successful at staying lowkey. Kageyama never seemed to have noticed anything, but he was probably not the right guy to draw such conclusions from. 

“So? You like her, don’t you?” Nishinoya asked again.

Hinata squeezed his eyes and nodded. “Yes.”

The other two cheered and celebrated as if they had won a game, even hugging each other with tears in their eyes.

“You are a grown man now,” Nishinoya cried.

“So when are you planning to tell her?” Tanaka asked.

Hinata scratched the side of his head, thinking hard. Technically, he had already somewhat confessed, but ended up running away like a coward. He doubted Yachi got the message after that. “Hmm… I don’t know yet.”

“You should man up and just tell her! Don’t be afraid of a rejection! Being in her presence is already a blessing.” Nishinoya declared, making Hinata’s eyes sparkle in awe at his revolutionary sounding speech. 

“Besides, we’re sure she likes you too,” Tanaka added, which made Hinata’s heart jolt.

Right at that moment, they heard someone knock at the door.

“Hinata, are you done?” Came Yachi’s voice, and the three guys immediately panicked, hoping she hadn’t heard anything.

“Yeah, coming,” Hinata called out, begging his senpais to calm down before he answered the door. The sight of Yachi in her brown coat and light blue scarf that matched the star ornaments in her hair was so adorable that Hinata’s hands itched with the urge to hug her. “W-What’s up?”

“I forgot to give you my notebook. I thought you’d need it to study for the upcoming exam,” Yachi said, handing him her English notebook.

“The test isn’t for another week. I’ll come by your class to study,” Hinata said, needing every excuse and opportunity to see her.

“Okay,” Yachi answered a beat too fast, too eager.

Tanaka and Nishinoya grinned in the background. To any onlooker, those two’s affection for one another was too obvious.

“Let me walk you home,” Hinata then said, remembering he hadn’t changed yet. “Wait for me.”

***

Hinata kept replaying the senpais’ words in his mind. Yachi liked him too, a statement that made him blush just thinking about it. Was it true? Well, if she were truly appalled by his weird confession, she wouldn’t have agreed to walking home together.

His thoughts were interrupted when Yachi sneezed, the sound like an adorable squeak.

“Are you cold?” He asked.

“I forgot to bring my gloves.”

Hinata’s eyes immediately darted to her hands, seeing it had paled a little in the cold. If only he had brought his own gloves, he could’ve lend it to her. But instead, he went by instinct and grabbed both her hands, rubbing it softly.

“H-Hinata…” Yachi whimpered, completely taken aback by his sudden act.

“Ah, I’m sorry! It’s just that, the best way to warm it is using body heat, you know. Since I didn’t bring mine either, it’d be a good way to keep us both warm,” Hinata tried his best to explain despite the loud drumming of his heart. But then he felt her give his hand a small squeeze.

“I think it’s a good idea,” Yachi quietly agreed.

Hinata couldn’t help but grin widely, deciding it would be okay to put their entangled hands in his pocket for extra warmth. When she put up no protest, he giddily continued like that for the rest of their journey.

This would be a good time to offer her a ride home since the night grew colder, but Hinata wanted to savor every second with her. They talked about all kinds of random stuff, like they did back when no feelings were involved yet. Many things had changed, but some things hadn’t. The whole journey felt natural and he wished they could stay like this a bit longer.

“Thanks for walking me home and for keeping me warm,” Yachi said, letting go of his hands to playfully cup his cheek instead.

Hinata screeched, feeling his entire body flinch from her cold hands. “You’re still freezing!”

She laughed and let out a yell when Hinata returned the favor and placed both hands on her cheek. “Your hands are naturally warm,” she said.

“Good way to keep you from the cold.” He smiled at her.

It then dawned on him that they were in a very intimate setting, standing face to face, hands cupping each other’s cheeks, only a hand width apart. Hinata’s gaze fell to her big golden caramel eyes that perused him in anticipation. Then it sank lower, catching sight of her half parted lips, glistening with an invitation amidst the cold night. His heart raced in panic.

Hinata unconsciously wetted his lips, unable to look away from her. His gaze turned hooded, like that of a carnivorous crow, attracted to the shiny. 

Should he? He could barely think when the pool of desire overwhelmed his thought, erasing all sensibility. If this was a battle, Hinata knew not to back down. He’d be eager to go for the win. So he didn’t know why it should be any different in this case.

Hinata closed his eyes, leaning forward to gently press his lips against hers. He heard her snatch her breath, but she never pulled away. Perhaps she was waiting for it as much as he was. So Hinata braved himself to move his lips, guiding her along to his sloppy movements. This was the first time he kissed a girl, and he hardly knew what to do. His hands began to roam the back of her head on instinct, tilting his head to get a better angle for the kiss. And based on Yachi’s response, it seemed he was doing pretty well.

Winning a match had always filled him with ecstacy and some sort of adrenaline rush, but this kiss was similar in a different way. He felt euphoric, as if the thing he had always wanted to do finally came to pass. His heart continued riding its fast rhythm, seeing no signs of stopping when he held her petite body in his arms, inhaled the soft vanilla scent from her, and tasted her sweet lips on his.

They both lost track of time, unwilling to stop until they heard a crow cawing in the distance. They parted as if they had been snapped back to reality, both a little out of breath, wet trails of the kiss still visible around the lips.

This would be the perfect time to confess his feelings. He couldn’t believe he had actually kissed her without saying he liked her first.

“Um… I need to go inside,” Yachi said, her face completely flushed.

“Oh, okay.” Hinata’s thoughts were clogged, not knowing how to start his confession when he lost his timing again.

“See you tomorrow, Hinata.”

“Good night.” He watched her quickly enter the apartment building. Hinata trailed a finger to his lips, feeling the lingering taste of her lips. 

He wanted to do it again.

***

For a good ten minutes, Hinata stood in front of Yachi’s classroom, contemplating how to greet her. They couldn’t pretend like the kiss never happened, but because he hadn’t properly confessed, he couldn’t fully acknowledge it either.

“Oh?” One of Yachi’s classmate’s opened the door, not so surprised to find him there. “Hitoka-chan, someone’s here for you.”

Hinata had no choice but to enter the classroom now, flashing his usual bright smile at everyone else. Ever since their team made it to nationals, other students began to recognize him. And he used this small distraction to calm his heart before settling his gaze on Yachi.

It did not work. As soon as he saw her, memories from last night invaded his brain, and he couldn’t help but notice her lips, glossier and pinkier than usual. It was as if she was tempting him to do it all over again, and had they been alone, Hinata would’ve gladly complied.

“You ready to study?” Yachi asked, showing no change in her usual behavior.

“Of course!”

The routine went on as usual as Yachi tutored him. They didn’t know when Kageyama had stopped joining them, but it was usually just Hinata and Yachi. Occasionally, Yachi would gasp in the midst of her explanation when she felt Hinata’s knees press against her, to which he would apologize, and the two ended up blushing.

Hinata was never good at studying, but today he had an ever harder time concentrating. He couldn’t help but want to steal some glances at her, watching that kind smile settle on her face as she explained everything with utmost care and detail while her hair fell and covered her face. Hinata liked seeing her face, so he spontaneously reached a hand out, gently brushing her hair behind her ear. A move so intimate that had her pause in panic.

“A-Ah! Sorry! I just… I couldn’t help myself,” he said, retracting his hands.

“It’s okay,” Yachi softly said, fiddling with the pencil in her hand. “I don’t mind if it’s you.”

Hinata’s heart pounded against his chest, and he knew that if he were to make a confession, now would be the proper time. He gathered his courage to speak. “Yachi-san, listen, I—”

The school bell rang, cutting him off.

Hinata gritted his teeth in annoyance. He was so close. “Let’s walk to the gym together later. I’ll pick you up.”

“Okay.”

“And thanks for tutoring me again today!”

Hinata quickly returned the seat to its place and hurried out of the classroom. He couldn’t wait for classes to be over with.

***

Hinata and Yachi’s closeness were no secret to anyone. So when he waited by the door of her classroom after class, everyone who passed greeted him like a friend. But his face truly brightened when Yachi finally appeared.

“Let’s go,” he said. Normally he would grab her wrist, pulling her along to his eagerness to start volleyball practice. Today was different. He wanted to savor these moments walking with her.

“So um…” he began, awkwardly scratching his head when the gym was already in sight. He had to do it quick before they entered the building and he’d miss his opportunity again. He gathered his courage one more time and pulled her aside. “Yachi-san, I want to talk to you.”

“What is it?” She asked.

“Well… You see, I… I apologize for kissing you last night, but to be honest, I’m not really sorry about it,” he started off, mentally hitting himself. This wasn’t off to a good start.

Yachi blinked in confusion, but her lips started to curl into her usual smile that hit him right in the chest.

“Because, the truth is…” Hinata took a deep breath, shutting his eyes. “I like you. I really really like you. And not just as my friend or as a manager, but as someone I would like to kiss again. No wait… I mean… As someone I’d like to be more than just friends with. Yachi-san, I want to go out with you.”

Hinata had never stuttered this much in his life. The adrenaline rush was more terrifying than playing against the strongest teams during nationals. He feared her rejection more than he feared losing. But all of those feelings dissipated the moment she grabbed his hands, making the first initiation for once.

“Do you really mean that?” She asked.

“Of course! I really like you, Yachi-san,” Hinata repeated, finally gaining the courage to look at her. And when he did, he realized her entire face was covered in red as a bashful smile pressed on her lips. She was utterly breathtaking, and Hinata couldn’t take his eyes off of her.

“That really makes me happy,” she whispered, squeezing his hands. “Even though I’m only a townsperson B, I never thought you would ever like me that way. I really like you too.”

Hinata couldn’t believe his ears. She was mumbling some more of her usual anxious thoughts, and Hinata had the urge to comfort her. So he drew his arms around her and pulled her against him, fully embracing her. “Stop saying you’re townsperson B. To me, you have always been the leading star.”

Before Yachi could respond, a loud cheer greeted from all around them. The entire volleyball team popped out from the corners they had been hiding at and gave the two a standing ovation.

“You did it, Hinata!” Tanaka said, giving him thumbs up.

“You have become a man now!” Nishinoya added, jumping up and down in delight.

“I’m really happy for you both,” Yamaguchi said.

“If you regret your decision, it’s understandable,” Tsuki told Yachi, earning an immediate glare from the seniors. “I mean, congrats.”

Kageyama gave his greeting in the form of kicking Hinata from behind. “Hinata boke, if you don’t concentrate during a game, I’ll kick you again, you hear me?”

“Ouch! And don’t worry, I will still be Karasuno’s little giant,” Hinata declared, taking Yachi’s hand in his. “I will play even better now!”

As the others entered the gym, exclaiming “finally” or “I knew it would happen sooner or later,” Hinata stayed out with Yachi. He waited for them all to leave before he did what he had been dying to do since that morning. He leaned in and planted a chaste kiss on the side of her head.

Yachi blinked, her already red face somehow managing to grow a shade darker. She tucked her lips, too embarrassed to look him in the eye.

“Sorry, I couldn’t help myself,” Hinata confessed. “I’m just really happy we’re no longer just friends.”

Yachi nodded, realizing that from now on, he’d be her boyfriend, and she’d be his girlfriend. She never thought that a boy as bright as Hinata would ever like someone as dull as her.

But maybe, she wasn’t that dull to begin with. And maybe, being with the right person was able to bring out the brightness that had been hidden within her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, that kiss wasn't suposed to happen, but as I wrote, it just kind of did XD  
> Thank you everyone for readingggg! I'm really glad there are still some fellow HinaYachi shippers out there.  
> I really had fun writing this story and I hope you enjoyed it.  
> Maybe I'll write more? I dunno. XD  
> Comments are much appreciated <3

**Author's Note:**

> Rewatching Haikyuu in preparation for season 4, and I got hit by all my HinaYachi feels all over again! Any HinaYachi lovers still out here? Writing them is harder than I thought cause I imagined Hinata with a crush will be more conscious of his actions compared to his usual sunshine happy-go-lucky ways.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoyed reading this. Comments and kudos would be much appreciated~ Spread the HinaYachi love~


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